What you need to be able to explain

Road freight transport is the vocational education (VET) where you become a driver and learn to drive a truck and transport goods safely and efficiently. This study guide is not about the subject itself — you'll find the technical course content in the subject's articles, calculators and templates — but about the educational path itself: how the education is structured, how you get in, and what you can build on. At HansenBerg the education takes place in Kolding (C.F. Tietgens Vej 11).

The road freight transport programme is a vocational education that alternates between school and on-the-job training at an apprenticeship place. It consists of three parts: basic course 1, basic course 2 and a main programme. The whole programme typically lasts 3½–5 years depending on where you start and which specialisation you choose.

The programme is governed by BEK no. 170 of 28/01/2026 on the road freight transport programme, which entered into force on 1 August 2026. It lasts from 3 years and 6 months to 5 years including parts 1 and 2 of the basic course of 20 weeks each. As a VET programme for young people the main programme at level 1 lasts 2 years and 6 months, of which 31 weeks of school spread over at least three school periods; level 2 (transport dispatcher) lasts a further 1-1½ years with 15 school weeks. Level 1 ends with a journeyman's test (§§ 2 and 6).

The basic courses take place mainly at the vocational school. In the main course, on the other hand, you are mostly at your apprenticeship in a company, interrupted by shorter school periods with theoretical teaching. It is at the apprenticeship that you really learn the trade in practice. You must have concluded an apprenticeship agreement with a company to complete the main course.

In the main course you choose a specialty that determines what type of driving and goods you specialise in. At HansenBerg you can choose between the following:

• 01Goods driver — goods transport and distribution, national and international
• 02Waste collection driver – waste handling and collection
• 03Tank truck driver — transport with tank truck, including hazardous goods
• 04Moving company driver — furniture and inventory transport
• 05Dispatch manager (further level) — planning and managing the company's transportation tasks

The entry requirements depend on whether you start in basic course 1 or directly in basic course 2:

• 01GF1: Completed 9th or 10th grade, typically within the last 2 years.
• 02GF2 (direct): Passed Danish and mathematics from 9th grade — at least 2.0 average in both subjects. If the average is too low you can enter via an entrance exam and entrance interview.
• 03Main course: Passed basic course 2 (incl. basic course exam) and a training agreement with a company.

Beyond the professional skills as a driver, you receive a number of driving licences and certificates that are necessary in the industry. Key proofs along the way are:

• 01Driving license for truck (category C) — and typically trailer (category C/E) depending on specialty
• 02Forklift certificate (truck B)
• 03First aid certificate incl. traffic-related first aid
• 04Proof of elementary fire fighting
• 05Commercial Vehicle Driver Training Certificate (VUB)

In the school part, you also have general subjects such as Danish (F-level) and natural science (F-level).

When you have a valid training agreement you get apprentice wages from your company – you get apprentice wages from the day the agreement comes into force both during apprenticeship and school periods. If you have turned 18 and do not yet have a training agreement you can apply for state educational grant during the basic course – you apply for it on su.dk. If you meet the conditions you can also get a discount on public transport with a Youth Card.

With a completed vocational education you do not stand still. According to ug.dk the education gives access to among other things:

• 01Business academy and professional bachelor education.
• 02Further toward transport planner/logistics (e.g. logistics economist, international transport and logistics)
• 03Educations within police and defense
• 04AMU courses and part-time academy education for further education

• 01Start the apprenticeship search early — a training agreement is the key to the main course. Ask the school's advisors for help.
• 02Keep track of your certificates and driving license levels; they must be in place before you can move on.
• 03Use the intake interview to show motivation — it counts, especially if grades are borderline.
• 04Make sure that you have passed Danish and natural science at F-level so you're ready for the main course.

A driving license for truck (category C) is typically obtained in Denmark as an AMU course — for example at AMU SYD. This study guide is about the training path itself: what you need to complete to get started, how long it takes, what certificates you end up with, and how finances and registration fit together. The subject matter about driving technique and regulations can be found in the field's articles, calculators and templates — here we focus on guiding you through the course.

AMU stands for labor market education. These are short, skills-providing courses aimed at unskilled and skilled workers who need to maintain or further develop their labor market-oriented skills. Unlike a vocational education (EUD) with basic course, main course, and several years of alternation between school and apprenticeship, an AMU course is a focused program lasting days or a few weeks, completed with a certificate. You register yourself (or your employer registers you) one class at a time – there is no multi-year admission like in a youth education.

To take a driving license for a truck (category C) according to AMU SYD and the official driving license rules the following applies:

• 01Age: As a rule you must be 21. You can, however, start the driving lessons earlier (from 20 years and 9 months), as long as you are 21 by the test. The licence can be issued from 18 when it is taken together with the initial qualification (BEK 718/2026 § 46). With the certificate from the direct initial qualification test you may then drive C and C/E commercially from 18; with the certificate from the intensive training only from 21 (BEK 412/2025 §§ 8-9).
• 02Driving license: You must already have a valid category B driving license for a regular car.
• 03Danish: According to AMU SYD, you must master Danish at a level equivalent to 'Danish Exam 2' so you can follow the teaching.
• 04Health: You must be able to get an approved medical certificate from your own doctor.
• 05AMU target group: You must be registered with residence in Denmark (CPR) or have actual employment in Denmark to participate.

At AMU SYD the full course is structured so that you first spend about 10 days taking the licence itself (category C) and then complete the statutory driver training. Since 1 October 2025 the initial qualification is obtained either through a direct test with no teaching requirement (written tests of at least 4 hours, a driving test of at least 90 minutes and a practical test of at least 30 minutes) or through intensive training of at least 140 hours, about 4 weeks (BEK 412/2025 §§ 14-15). The old 8-week course of 280 hours can no longer be started. At AMU SYD the course 47854 «Godstransport med lastbil» (goods transport by lorry) lasts 30 days including the category C licence.

When you are done you end up with two things: the actual driving license for category C (large truck over 3,500 kg) and – via the mandatory Driver CPC training – a Driver CPC training certificate (EU qualification certificate). The EU certificate is a requirement if you want to drive goods professionally and the rules come from common EU legislation. The driving license itself must be renewed according to the ordinary rules for large driving licenses and the EU qualification certificate must be maintained with mandatory EU continuing education (at least 35 hours) every 5 years.

There is participant fee on most AMU courses, and the price depends among other things on your educational background (if you have an education up to and including vocational education level, you typically pay a lower participant fee than people with a higher education). If you are employed, you or your employer can apply for VEU compensation, which covers part of the salary loss while you are on the course. From 1 January 2026 the VEU rate is 1.017 kr. per day (corresponding to 137.47 kr. per hour). There may also be subsidies for transport and food and lodging. The exact participant fee for the specific group you must find in the school's current group description — it varies.

• 01Registration is done digitally on Voksenuddannelse.dk with MitID.
• 02If you pay yourself you register with your own MitID and apply for adult education grants and travel allowances yourself.
• 03If your employer sends you off you can register with the company's MitID/digital signature.
• 04You can also contact the school directly to find the right class and get help with enrollment.

• 01Get the doctor's certificate in good time — it is a requirement and can take time to get an appointment with your doctor.
• 02Check exam dates against your age to ensure you are 21 before your exam date
• 03Read the theory stuff continuously rather than cramming it at the end — the combination of theory and practical driving goes easier when the theory is solid.
• 04Clarify the finances (participant fees, VEU compensation, any employer payment) before the course starts, so you know what you need to pay out.
• 05Use the trade's other material on Discebo to repeat rules, driving and rest time and load securing.

With driving licence C and EU qualification certificate you can work as a goods driver for hauliers transport companies building sites and distribution centres. From here you can expand with 'trailer licence' (category C/E) for articulated vehicles which enables you to drive with trailers and articulated semi-trailers and later maintain your EU certificate with the legally required EU refresher training every 5 years. Many drivers also supplement with courses in special transport ADR (hazardous goods) or crane/truck to broaden their job opportunities.